Donald Fehr and Gary Bettman will not be directly involved in today's meeting between six NHL owners and a select group of NHL players, but don't jump to a conclusion assuming that both sides will suddenly find some common ground with their leaders out of the room.

Bettman has long been the player's whipping boy. They actually believe that he wants to ruin the game and that he's the ultimate puppet master pulling the owner's strings. Meanwhile the NHL is certain that Fehr is not telling the players the truth, even though many of them have been present during most of the negotiations.

The lockout was asinine to begin with, but it's becoming more laughable by the day. It would be great if today's meeting will start an avalanche of positive negotiations, or as Steve Burton reported continue on the "significant progress" they allegedly made yesterday.

After the jump, the answer to every question you've ever had. Provided, of course, that "every question you've ever had" relates to the NHL's return to Winnipeg, the true meaning of "one billion dollars," which NHL prospect got caught drunk and in a Teletubby costume, or something else that's answered in one of the excellent links below.

With the failure of mediation, the NHL has seemingly gone for a ‘Hail Mary’ move: asking for a direct meeting between owners and players without the presence of the leadership of either side. What should we make of this request?

Remember yesterday when I said I'd bring you some of the games we missed the day before? Here they are! Plus a brand new one with Ovechkin making a KHL defenceman look like a scarecrow. Just disgusting.